How to add an alias to an Office 365 account and how to set up Outlook to send email messages as this alias

Summary

This article describes how to add an alias email address to a user’s Microsoft Office 365 account by using Microsoft Exchange Online and how to configure Microsoft Outlook to send email messages as this alias. These steps involve setting up a “dummy” POP3 account by using the user’s alias.

More Information

Step 1: Add an alias to a user’s Office 365 account

In Office 365 for enterprises

Sign in to the Office 365 portal.

In the header, click Admin.

Under Exchange Online,click Manage.

In the left pane, click Users & Groups, and then click Mailboxes.

In the list of users, select the user to whom you want to add an alias email address, and then click Details.

Expand E-Mail Options. A list of user’s email addresses is displayed.

Click Add to add a new alias email address.

In Office 365 for professionals and small businesses

Sign in to the Office 365 portal.

In the header, click Admin.

Under Outlook, click General settings.

In the left pane, click Users & Groups tab, and then click Mailboxes.

In the list of users, select the user to whom you want to add an alias email address, and then click Details.

Unfortunately in Microsoft Exchange 2010 and therefore Office 365 you are unable to send from any email address other than your primary email address, even if you can receive email from multiple email addresses. If you try to send from another email address attached to your account you will get the following error:

You can’t send a message on behalf of this user unless you have permission to do so. Please make sure you’re sending on behalf of the correct sender, or request the necessary permission. If the problem continues, please contact your helpdesk.

The other option is to set up a new distribution list with the email address you want to send and receive from.

Firstly, create a new Distribution List in the Microsoft Office Portal by clicking the Distribution Groups link in the Admin section of the portal. For this example we will be using the email address newsletter@cogmotive.com

New Distribution list for newsletter@cogmotive.com

You can see that I have given it the name newsletter and added myself as an owner. By default, new Distribution Lists will only accept emails from other people inside your organisation. You can change this by double clicking the newly created Distribution List in the Exchange Control Panel and changing the delivery management options

Distribution List Delivery Management

Now that we have set up this new distribution list we can send a test email to newsletter@cogmotive.com from my Gmail account and it is received in my Office 365 mailbox.

Now that this is set up, you need to wait 15-30 minutes for this all to replicate. After that, you can open up Outlook or Outlook Web Access and use the newsletter@cogmotive.com address as your From address.

To show the From field in Outlook 2010, create a new email message click the Options button at the top followed by the From button.

You should then see the From field in your new email message.

Send button in Outlook

Click this From button and select the Other Email Address option.

Make sure you select your Distribution List from the Address Book

The important thing here is to make sure you select the distribution list from the Address Book, don’t just type the email address in.

Address

You can do the same thing in Outlook Web Access by creating a new email, clicking the Options button at the top and then ticking the Show From button.

Here you have it, an email from your newsletter@cogmotive.com address!